Memorial Day weekend means a homecoming for the NASCAR Cup Series and the longest race on the calendar. The series moves to Charlotte Motor Speedway in suburban Queen City, where each team is headquartered, for the Coca-Cola 600.
Hendrick Motorsports, located literally down the street from the speedway, is the team to beat, having won five of 13 races this season, as well as last weekend’s All-Star race at North Wilkesboro.
Here’s everything you need to know before Coca-Cola 600:
Rainy Saturday, Byron on pole
With the Charlotte, North Carolina area soaked in rain on Saturday, NASCAR officials decided to eliminate on-track activity for all series competing this weekend. This included Cup Series practice and qualifying, meaning a grid determined by regulations for the Coca-Cola 600. Due to this formula, the front row of the longest race of the season will see William Byron in pole alongside Kevin Harvick.
Coca-Cola 600 Starting Grid
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William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
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Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
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Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
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Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
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Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
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Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
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Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
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Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team
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Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
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Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
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Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
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Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
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Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
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Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
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Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
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Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team
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Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
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Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
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Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
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Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford
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Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
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Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
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Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
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Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
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Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
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AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
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Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
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Zane Smith (38), Ford of motorsport in the front row
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Michael McDowell (34), Ford of motorsport in the front row
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Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
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Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
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Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
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BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
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Todd Gilliland (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
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JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
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Jimmie Johnson (84), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Coca-Cola 600 TV/streaming/radio program
All times Eastern
Sunday
5:30 p.m.-6 p.m.: Pre-Race Show (Fox, Fox Sports App, PRN)
6-10 p.m.: Coca-Cola 600 (Fox, Fox Sports app, PRN)
Coca-Cola 600 details
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5 mile doglegged oval), Concord, North Carolina
Length: 400 laps for 600 miles
Banking: 5 degrees straight, 24 degrees cornering
Last year’s winner: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Top drivers and best bets for the Coca-Cola 600
Hendrick Motorsports has been dominant at tracks 1.5 miles or less and that’s reflected in BetMGM’s chances going into the weekend. Kyle Larson (+400) dominated the NASCAR All-Star Race last weekend at North Wilkesboro and has won two short tracks so far while William Byron (+700) has won three of four intermediate track races this season.
Better chances of winning
Kyle Larson+400
William Byron +700
Denny Hamlin +750
Martin Truex Jr. +900
Chase Elliot +900
We wrote more in-depth about the odds earlier in the week and recommend finding good mid-tier value in Tyler Reddick (+1600), who has an average 9.3 finish in four starts in Charlotte and Kevin Harvick ( +1700), who won there three times. Ty Gibbs (+6000), making his first Cup start at Charlotte, is an enticing long shot as he has won and finished second in two Xfinity races.
List of Coca-Cola 600 entries
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford|
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Penske Ford Team
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Penske Ford Team
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Ford of motorsport in the front row
Zane Smith (38), Ford of motorsport in the front row
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Jimmie Johnson (84), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Weather Coca-Cola 600
Forecasts call for cool temperatures and rain all weekend, which will have highway planners rubbing their temples. In addition to the Cup cars, there will be practice, qualifying and races for the ARCA Menards, Craftsman Truck and Xfinity series on track. With Monday being a federal holiday, NASCAR might be more inclined to push back the Cup race sooner than wait for the weather to clear late Sunday night.